<big><b>Five things to watch: California Golden Bears (1-6) at Washington Huskies (4-3)</b></big>
<small>Saturday, Oct. 26 | 8 p.m. PDT | Husky Stadium | TV: Fox Sports 1</small>
My, what a difference a month makes -- how different things look for the Washington Huskies football team than they did just a few short weeks ago.
Then, the team was 4-0, ranked No. 15 in the country with a chance to prove itself on a national stage in back-to-back contests against top-flight opponents. Now, the team is reeling after a three-game losing skid, including last Saturday’s embarrassing showing at Arizona State in a 53-24 loss that left Huskies fans shocked and looking for answers.
That defeat marked the fifth time in Steve Sarkisian’s five-year tenure in Montlake that the team posted a losing streak of at least three games. And after a dream start to the season, many now wonder if “Seven Win Steve” is the man to lead the program over the plateau of mediocrity on which the Huskies seems to be stuck.
If Washington is to salvage its season, the team must put together impressive performances down the stretch. That starts on Saturday against a clearly inferior Cal team. The tilt against the Golden Bears, whose only win came against FCS foe Portland State, represents an opportunity for the Dawgs to “get well” in a big way. But anything less than a convincing win – Washington is favored by as much as 26.5 points – would be a huge disappointment, with questions about the team’s long-term future continuing to hang over the program.
Click through the gallery to see what we’ll be looking for in Washington’s latest must-win Pac-12 matchup. less

<b>1. Will Bishop Sankey get back on track?</b>
Coming into the game against the Arizona State, Sankey (pictured running against Oregon) ranked first in the FBS with nearly 150 yards per game. Facing a mediocre Sun Devils run defense, the junior from Spokane figured to have a huge game on the ground.
But that didn’t happen. After scoring the game’s first touchdown less than five minutes into the first quarter, Sankey was completely ineffective. And when the Huskies fell behind in the second quarter, he disappeared, carrying the ball only four times in the second half. Sankey finished with 22 yards on 13 carries, with his 1.7 yards-per-carry average marking his lowest output since Oct. 1, 2011 – during his freshman season – when he carried the ball four times for 5 yards against Utah.
Sankey’s dismal day wasn’t entirely his fault. His offensive line – so stout in the early part of the season – gave him few holes to run through, and defenders often met him in the backfield before he could get going. That simply can’t continue if the Dawgs hope to win Saturday.
Against the Golden Bears, Sankey will have a chance for redemption. Cal ranks No. 81 in the country against the run, giving up an average of 178.7 yards per game and 4.72 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Sankey has averaged 141.5 yards per game at home this season. When you take into account that one of those contests was against Idaho State – when he racked up 77 yards on just four carries – all signs point to a big day for Sankey and the Huskies' running game. less

<b>1. Will Bishop Sankey get back on track?</b>
Coming into the game against the Arizona State, Sankey (pictured running against Oregon) ranked first in the FBS with nearly 150 yards per game. Facing a ... more

Photo: Ted S. Warren / Associated Press

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<b>2. Can Keith Price stay upright?</b>
Riding Sankey and the running game Saturday could go a long way toward determining how Washington finishes its season, because senior quarterback Keith Price (pictured No. 17) is nowhere near 100 percent healthy after aggravating an injury to his right thumb last week that he first suffered Oct. 5 at Stanford.
Price left the game against Arizona State in the fourth quarter, replaced by redshirt freshman Cyler Miles. Price's numbers in Tempe were by far his worst of the season, completing only 16 of his 39 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns. But, like Sankey, Price isn’t the only one to blame for the failures in the passing game.
The Washington offensive line – looking a lot like the group that had its quarterback running for his life last season – gave Price little time to set up and throw, allowing six sacks. Sarkisian’s play-calling didn’t help either, as the Huskies seemed to focus more on long throws down the field instead of the quick-hitters and screen passes that had been so successful early in the season.
Many believe Sarkisian should sit Price for this week’s contest, giving him two weeks to recover before the Dawgs' next game against Colorado, but indications are that he will play Saturday. The Cal pass defense ranks dead last in the country, giving up over 346 yards per game and totaling only nine sacks through seven games, so the Golden Bears present an opportunity for Price and the entire air attack to get back in rhythm. If Price remains healthy, as well, the odds are much better the Dawgs finish the season strong. less

<b>2. Can Keith Price stay upright?</b>
Riding Sankey and the running game Saturday could go a long way toward determining how Washington finishes its season, because senior quarterback Keith Price ... more

Photo: Matt York / Associated Press

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<b>3. Who takes the snaps at quarterback for Cal?</b>
The Huskies may have issues keeping Price healthy, but at least they know who their quarterback is. That’s more than you can say about Cal right now.
In head coach Sonny Dykes’ first year in Berkley, the Golden Bears find themselves squarely in the middle of a quarterback controversy. Junior Austin Hinder and redshirt freshman Zach Kilne – the No. 2 ranked pro-style quarterback recruit in the class of 2012 – figured to compete to be the trigger man in Dykes’ spread system this offseason, but they were both beaten out by early enrollee and true freshman Jared Goff (pictured No. 16).
Goff has performed well at times, but his inexperience has been evident. For the season, he’s 186-of-308 for 2,256 yards and nine touchdowns, but he has also committed 11 turnovers, seven of them via interceptions.
In last week’s 49-17 loss to Oregon State, Dykes pulled Goff in favor of Kline, who accounted for both of the Bears’ touchdowns while completing 11-of-16 passes for 71 yards and rushing four times for 28 more. For Saturday night’s matchup, Dykes reopened the competition between the two, and Goff and Kline have split the first-team reps in practice.
Cal does have good weapons in sophomore receivers Chris Harper (52 catches for 698 yards and four touchdowns) and Bryce Treggs (46 for 496 and a score) as well as running backs Brendan Bigelow and Daniel Lasco, but all their efforts can be easily wasted with one ill-advised throw.
No team wants a quarterback battle at this point in the season, but that’s exactly what Dykes and the Golden Bears face now. That could bode well for a Huskies defense licking its wounds from the last three weeks. less

<b>3. Who takes the snaps at quarterback for Cal?</b>
The Huskies may have issues keeping Price healthy, but at least they know who their quarterback is. That’s more than you can say about Cal right ... more

Photo: Tony Avelar / Associated Press

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<b>4. Can the Dawgs defense catch its breath?</b>
You can’t fault the Washington defense for being exhausted.
First, they played incredibly well against a tough Stanford team. Then they had to go against possibly the finest uptempo offense in the country in Oregon -- a complete change of pace from the physical, pounding Cardinal team.
Against Arizona State, the Huskies offense went 4-of-17 on third-down conversions, and their inability to stay on the field meant the Sun Devils could grind down the Dawgs defense (including linebacker John Timu and cornerback Marcus Peters, pictured above with Sarkisian). After giving up 26 points in a disastrous second quarter, the Washington defenders looked exhausted, and the game was all but over.
They won’t get a break against a Cal team that ranks third in the FBS averaging 91.5 plays per game. But the Sun Devils had standout running back Marion Grice and quarterback Taylor Kelly gashing the Huskies on the ground – racking up 314 yards and holding the ball for over 38 minutes. By contrast, the Cal rushing attack ranks No. 112 in the country, averaging just 106.4 yards per game.
Dykes’ squad makes up for it in the air, where the Bears rank No. 7 nationally at nearly 360 yards per game, but that plays into the strength of the Washington defense, which still comes in at No. 17 in the country allowing only 194.9 yards per contest.
Against the Golden Bears, the Huskies defense will need a little help from its offense to stay off the field and stay fresh for Dykes’ spread attack. less

<b>4. Can the Dawgs defense catch its breath?</b>
You can’t fault the Washington defense for being exhausted.
First, they played incredibly well against a tough Stanford team. Then they had to go ... more

Photo: Matt York / Associated Press

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<b>5. Will the Huskies show some resilience?</b>
Sarkisian’s team needs to bear down – pun intended – to save its season. This week’s matchup and a Nov. 9 home date against Colorado -- with a bye week sandwiched in between -- are, frankly, must-win affairs. Washington will be widely perceived as the better team in each game, but must prove it on the field.
A loss to either team would sink morale so low that the Dawgs would likely have no chance of upsetting ranked UCLA and Oregon State teams on the road, with the end-of-season Apple Cup played amid questions about Coach Sark’s job security – something almost unthinkable a month ago when his name kept popping up as a possibility for the open job at USC after the firing of Lane Kiffin.
Narrowly escaping a battered Cal team wouldn’t do much to inspire confidence, either. However, a convincing win would at least stop the bleeding, and allow the Huskies to head into their bye week with their heads held high. Rolling against Colorado would propel the team to 6-3 and could restore some of the excitement fans were feeling just a few weeks ago.
As Washington prepares to <a href="http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/2013/10/24/washington-cal-to-honor-late-coach-don-james-this-weekend/">honor former head coach Don James</a> after he <a href="http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/2013/10/20/uw-legendary-football-coach-don-james-dies/">died last Sunday at age 80</a>, the Huskies would do well to emulate his teams’ confident, physical style against the Golden Bears. If they can reestablish their level of execution from earlier in the year – minus the penalties, perhaps – and play with an effort the Dawgfather would be proud of, the Huskies just might be able to save their season. less

<b>5. Will the Huskies show some resilience?</b>
Sarkisian’s team needs to bear down – pun intended – to save its season. This week’s matchup and a Nov. 9 home date against Colorado -- with a bye ... more

Photo: Ted S. Warren / Associated Press

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Five things to watch: Cal Golden Bears at Washington Huskies

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What do you think will happen Saturday night against Cal?

Inspired by memory of Don James, Huskies come out of the gates fast and blow out the Bears.

Washington will need a little time to get going again, but they'll eventually take care of business with a win.

Dawgs continue their downward slide and lose another in-conference heartbreaker.